Cherry Ice Cream
by LexyRexy
Summary: Sakura. Sasuke. A Festival. And a couple of scoops of cherry ice cream.


It had been some time since Sasuke's return to Konaha. And yet, it still felt as though it were only yesterday that Sakura and Naruto had dragged themselves and a bloody Sasuke home. He could see it in the expressions of the villagers that passed him with wary eyes. They still didn't trust the raven-haired nin. They still labeled him as a traitor. That's why it seemed as though time hadn't passed. That didn't matter much to Sasuke though; he still had Naruto and Sakura. Honestly they were more than he could ask for at this point.

Still, it made somewhere inside of him cringe when mother's would usher their children towards the opposite direction, or when he would hear the whispers that would pass from one villager to another when he passed. He fleetingly remembered Sakura's words about such behavior as he made his way towards one of the village's many festivals to meet his teammates.

"Ignore them, Sasuke. They're just hurt and afraid; it will take time for the village to heal just as it will take time for you to heal. One day you won't have to deal with this and until then you have Naruto and I."

Sasuke was lost in thought as he rounded the corner of the street containing the festival. His thoughts often drifted off towards Naruto and Sakura, but they seemed to be focusing on the latter as of late. Sasuke found this _very_ annoying. Sakura was a good friend and teammate. She was nothing like the whimpering little genin of the past, but there were still small traces of her past self in her smile, the way she blushed… Sasuke shook his head free of the images. This was becoming a problem.

"SASUKE-TEME!" The blonde's voice rose above all the others at the fair as Naruto barreled towards Sasuke with a blushing Hinata in tow.

"Dobe, why are you being so loud?" Sasuke looked at Naruto in annoyance. However, he quirked a brow at him when he saw the heiress' hand connected to the idiot's. Naruto simply kept smiling. Sasuke had heard that Hinata had managed to spill out some of her feelings before fainting. Apparently it was true and apparently Naruto had finally asked her on a date.

"Hinata-chan and I were just heading for the food stands, ya wanna tag along? I mean what else are you going to do here alone, unless…you're looking for someone." Naruto's face was full of wide grin and mischief. Sasuke was seriously going to deck Naruto. He could feel heat creeping up the back of his neck as he glared at the dobe.

Naruto simply continued to laugh and smile as he inched Hinata and himself further from Sasuke and closer towards the food.

"You know, I think I saw Sakura-chan over by the Ice cream stand." Those were Naruto's last words as he pushed Sasuke in the direction of said stand and dragged Hinata along towards the Ramen eating contest.

Naruto was right. Sasuke could see Sakura sitting on a bench next to the ice cream, cone in hand, and lost in thought. Sasuke considered turning around. Sakura hadn't noticed him so it wouldn't be rude, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Perhaps it was seeing Hinata and Naruto that shifted something inside him. The smile on the dobe's face was something he couldn't erase, he just seemed so happy. Could Sasuke be happy like that? He made his way quietly towards the bench Sakura was sitting on. She smiled when he sat down.

"What are you doing here Sasuke-kun?" Sakura continued to eat her pink cherry flavored ice cream. Sasuke just watched her for some time before answering.

"The dobe and Hinata are here together." Sakura raised a pink eyebrow.

"Really? Finally!" She laughed and Sasuke just continued to watch. How much had she helped him during first few months in Konaha? Even after he had hurt her in so many ways over and over again and yet, she always kept that sweet smile on her face.

"Aa." Sakura started to laugh. It was a small pleasant laugh that drifted on the small breeze that made its way through the festival.

"That's always your answer, Sasuke-kun." She looked at him thoughtfully for a few moments and was about to say something when a small group of children bumped into her during their fun and games. Sakura's ice cream cone tumbled to the ground and her small laugh started up again.

"I just got that too, hmm well I guess I should get going then. I'm sure the hospital needs me. Have fun Sasuke-kun." Just like that Sakura had stood up, gave Sasuke that smile that had been filling his thoughts recently, and started to weave her way through the crowd. Sasuke didn't want her to leave yet though. He didn't know why, but he didn't want her to go. He wanted her to stay at the festival…with him. Sasuke smirked as an idea blossomed in his head.

Sakura walked the empty streets of Konaha towards the hospital. It seemed as though all of Konaha was at the festival. She let out quite an audible sigh as she continued to make her way. She didn't want to leave the festival, but it was getting pretty painful. Not only had she arrived alone to the festival, Sasuke had arrived and had been his normal antisocial self towards her. She just couldn't get over him after all, that had proved more than true at the festival when she had seen all of the couples around her. Sitting there with Sasuke as nothing more than teammates, heck with him barely talking to her she had realized how lonely she felt.

Sakura was about two streets from the hospital when someone grabbed her shoulder. Sakura turned around ready to strike when obsidian eyes stared back at her.

Sakura stared confusedly at Sasuke as he held out a cone full of pink ice cream. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and avoided Sakura's gaze.

"You dropped yours." Those were the only words he said, but Sakura knew it meant so much more. She smiled at him gently as she took the cone from his hand.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun." She hesitantly and wearily wrapped her arms, careful to keep the cone away from his back, around Sasuke. She felt him tense and was about to draw back and away when suddenly Sasuke's arms enveloped her and she was finally in his embrace. Sasuke saw the smile grace her lips before she buried her head into the crook of his neck. A ghost of a smile flitted across his lips. He was content.


End file.
